3 Things You Should Know After An Injury

Not All Lawyers Are Equal

Whenever you are involved in an accident and sustain injuries due to the negligence of another or others, the first thing you obviously want to do is get medical attention. However, if those injuries are so severe that they preclude you from returning to work any time in the near future, if at all, then you would next want to seek out the services of a personal injury lawyer who specializes in that field. But be aware of one very important point – not all lawyers are equal, even those specializing in personal injury. If you are searching for a personal injury attorney, here are some things you may want to consider.

You Need an Attorney Who Specializes in Personal Injury: Just because a lawyer has a shingle outside his building doesn’t mean he/she is up on all areas of the law. You wouldn’t go to a family lawyer to handle a personal injury claim simply because they would literally be working in the dark. There are statutes and case law that could be called into play that a family lawyer would not be versed in and would need to take inordinate amounts of time to research, even if they had the time to do so. The point is, your family or business attorney wouldn’t be able, in most instances, to give you a fair shot at winning your claim for compensation.

Laws Vary from State to State: One of the most important things to be aware of is the fact that laws vary from state to state. For example, you may live in New Jersey but were involved in a not-at-fault accident in New York City. You would first of all need an attorney licensed to practice in New York State who is also a specialist in personal injury. It would be in your best interest to call on the services of a lawyer like Marc S. Albert who is not only a New York lawyer operating out of Long Island but is also a specialist in personal injury.

Research the Law Firm’s Win/Loss Ratio: Another thing you need to find out is the success ratio of the attorney you are going to hire to represent you in a court of law. What is that firm’s win/loss ratio? Have they ever won huge settlements and if so, how many? You might find that a lawyer won 100 big ticket cases but represented thousands over the years. That is not a good ratio. A good personal injury lawyer should be transparent in their win/loss ratio. There really is no way to research this, even in public records, so you would most likely be dependent on that firm’s ‘word’, but remember, a good lawyer will be transparent. If not, keep looking!

Also, you might want to ask if you will have an attorney who is going to dedicate sufficient time to your claim. You want an attorney with a dedicated team that has time and ability to take care of all the little details that could make or break your case. When all is said and done, not all lawyers are equal so what you are looking for is that one shining star in the lot.